It's possible to sequence DNA on gum and cigarette butts found in the street and 3D print a very accurate face from it.

DNA can be found in more places than one would think, but did you know that it's possible to extract and sequence DNA that you leave behind on things like cigarette butts and gum?

That's exactly what Heather Dewey-Hagborg has been doing. Dewey-Hagborg, a 30-year-old PhD student who studies electronic arts at New York's Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute, has a peculiar habit of sifting through and salvaging objects that are potential DNA-carriers.

These include cigarette butts, gum, hair, and fingernails.

With the samples collected, she extracts the DNA and analyses specific genomic regions. With this data, she has been able to recreate people's faces with surprising accuracy using 3D printing.